As is known, the United States produces over 250 million tons of municipal solid waste each year. This number represents approximately 4.6 pounds of waste per person per day. A large portion of this waste is hauled away in garbage trucks and packed into sanitary landfills. As a result, landfilling has become the number one method of disposing trash in the United States. However, most of the material disposed of in landfills is recyclable. Hence, in order to reduce the volume of waste disposed of in landfills, Americans have turned to recycling. It has be found that recycling benefits the environment at every stage in the life cycle of a consumer product, from the raw material used to make the product, to the final method of disposal. In order to encourage recycling, many public facilities have start to position recycling bins throughout their premises.
While functional for their intended purpose, these prior recycling bins have shortcomings that make them unsuitable for certain applications. For example, prior recycling bins typically have single openings for receiving single types of recycling material therein. As such, a user must provide distinct recycling bins for each type of recycling material. In other words, a first recycling bin may be provided for receiving a first material such as paper and a second recycling bin may be provided for receiving a second material such as plastic. This, in turn, increases the overall costs associated with providing recycle bins in certain environments.
In addition, prior recycling bins require the use of bags therein. These bags receiving the recycling materials deposited in the recycling bins. Consequently, these bags must be replaced after each bag is filled with recycling material. As such, it is highly desirable to provide a simple and easy mechanism for attaching and supporting the bag within a corresponding recycle bin. In addition, a bag filled with recycling material may weight a significant amount. It is also highly desirable to provide a mechanism for maintaining the bag in an open configuration within a corresponding recycle bin as the bag is filled.
Sholinder, U.S. Pat. No. 7,198,166 discloses an example of a prior recycling bin. The bin discloses in the '166 patent includes a rigid modular container having a floor and an opposite lid. Opposite rigid rectilinearly-shaped first and second panels are provided between the floor and lid and oppositely disposed rigid rectilinearly-shaped third and fourth panels extending from and between the first and second panels. The panels are removably mounted to the floor. The side edges of adjacent panels are removably mounted to each other as by bolting so that the side edges of the third and fourth panels abut the side edges of the first and second panels. Fastener bracing means such as bolt bracing are mounted to the side edges of the panels and are aligned between adjacent the panels so that fastener receiving apertures therethrough provide for rigid bracing of rigid fasteners such as bolts mounted through and between the fastener bracing means on the adjacent panels. Rigid fasteners such as bolts may be mounted through the fastener bracing means on the adjacent the panels. It is noted, however, that no mechanism is provided for supporting one or bags within the recycling bin. Further, the '166 patent does not contemplated providing a bin having multiple openings therein which are adapted receiving different types of recycling material.
Therefore, it is a primary object and feature of the present invention to provide a cinching mechanism for a bag support of a modular recycling center that retains one or more bags in an open configuration therein.
It is a further object and feature of the present invention to provide a cinching mechanism for a bag support of a modular recycling center that is simple to use.
In accordance with the present invention, a bag support is provide for supporting the upper portion of a bag. The bag support includes first and second side rails generally parallel to each other. A first bag retainer is positioned between the first and second rails for receiving a first portion of an upper end of a first bag thereon. The first bag retainer is pivotable between a first position and a second retaining position for supporting the first bag in an open configuration.
A first rod extends between the first and second rails along a first axis. A second rod extends between the first and second rails along a second axis. A second bag retainer may be mounted to the second rod for receiving a second portion of the upper end of the first bag thereon. Alternatively, a second bag retainer may be positioned between the first and second rails for receiving a first portion of an upper end of a second bag thereon. The second bag retainer is pivotable between a first position and a second retaining position for supporting the second bag in an open configuration. I is contemplated for the first bag retainer to define a loop. In addition, the first bag retainer may be movable along the first axis between a first retaining position wherein the first bag retainer is maintained in a user desired position and a second position wherein the first bag retainer is movable between the first and second positions.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, a bag support is provided. The bag support includes a first bar extending along a first axis. A first bag retainer extends therefrom. The first bag retainer is pivotable between a first position and a second retaining position for supporting a first bag in an open configuration. A second bar extends along a second axis generally parallel to the first axis and includes a first bag retainer extending therefrom. The first bag retainer of the second bar supports the upper portion of the corresponding bag.
A second bag retainer may extend from the first bar for receiving a first portion of an upper end of a second bag thereon. The second bag retainer is pivotable between a first position and a second retaining position for supporting the second bag in an open configuration. A second bag retainer extends from the second bar for receiving a second portion of the upper end of the second bag thereon.
First and second rails extend between the first and second bars. The first bar is movable along the first axis between a first retaining position wherein the first bag retainer is maintained in a user desired position and a second position wherein the first bag retainer is movable between the first and second positions.
In accordance with a still further aspect of the present invention, a bag support is provided. The bag support includes a first bar extending along a first axis and a second bar extending along a second axis generally parallel to the first axis. A first support has a first end operatively connected to the first bar and a second end operatively connected to the second bar. A first bag retainer extends from the first bar for receiving a first portion of an upper end of a first bag thereon. The first bar is pivotable such that first bag retainer moves between a first position and a second retaining position for supporting the first bag in an open configuration.
A second bag retainer extends from the first bar for receiving a first portion of an upper end of a second bag thereon. The second bag retainer is movable between a first position and a second retaining position for supporting the second bag in an open configuration. A second support extends between the first and second bars along a second axis. A second bag retainer also extends from the second bar for receiving a second portion of the upper end of the first bag thereon. The first bar is movable along the first axis between a first retaining position wherein the first bag retainer is maintained in a user desired position and a second position wherein the first bar is pivotable. A biasing structure is provided for urging the first bar towards the retaining position. It is contemplated for a first end of the first bag retainer to be generally C-shaped and a second end of the first retainer to be generally C-shaped. The first bag retainer extending from the first bar is one of a plurality of bag retainers extending from the first bar.